Both the Tahoe and GX460 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Tahoe has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The GX460’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Tahoe are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GX460 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Tahoe has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The GX460 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshaft in the Tahoe’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the GX460’s camshafts. If the GX460’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The Tahoe has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The GX460 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Tahoe has a standard 150-amp alternator (170-amp - Tahoe 6.2 V8). The GX460’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Tahoe first among large SUVs in their 2019 Initial Quality Study. The GX460 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 8th.

On the EPA test cycle the Tahoe gets better fuel mileage than the GX460:

MPG

Tahoe

RWD

5.3 V8

15 city/22 hwy

6.2 V8

14 city/23 hwy

AWD

5.3 V8

15 city/21 hwy

6.2 V8

14 city/22 hwy

GX460

AWD

4.6 V8

15 city/18 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down half of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Tahoe’s fuel efficiency. The GX460 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Tahoe uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 6.2 V8 engine for maximum performance). The GX460 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Tahoe has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the GX460 (26 vs. 23 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better traction, the Tahoe’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GX460 (285/45R22 vs. 265/60R18).

The Tahoe’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GX460’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tahoe offers optional 22-inch wheels. The GX460’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Tahoe has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The GX460 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The front grille of the Tahoe uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GX460 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Tahoe Premier 4x4 is quieter than the GX460:

The Tahoe’s cargo area is larger than the GX460’s in almost every dimension:

Tahoe

GX460

Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)

11.1”/43.2”/79.9”

9.8”/39”/75”

Min Width

49.3”

43.4”

Height

33.9”

35.5”

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Tahoe’s optional second and third row seats (not available on LS), to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The GX460 doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The Tahoe’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The GX460’s swing out door blocks loading from the passenger’s side.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Tahoe LT/Premier has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The GX460 doesn’t offer a power cargo door.

The Tahoe’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The GX460 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Tahoe Premier offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and other key instrumentation readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The GX460 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Tahoe’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The GX460’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Tahoe’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The GX460’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Tahoe’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The GX460’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

Insurance will cost less for the Tahoe owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Tahoe will cost $680 to $1315 less than the GX460 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Tahoe is less expensive to operate than the GX460 because typical repairs cost much less on the Tahoe than the GX460, including $466 less for a starter, $58 less for fuel injection, $12 less for a timing belt/chain and $724 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Tahoe will be $3228 to $6189 less than for the Lexus GX460.